The Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities Board of Trustees approved on Jan. 22 an
expansion in the mission of Pine Technical College to a comprehensive technical
and community college. The change enables the college to offer, perhaps as
early as the Fall, the Associate in Arts degree. To reflect this change, the
Board also approved a change in the name of the institution to Pine Technical
and Community College. The change in mission will also require approval of the
Higher Learning Commission, at which time the name change will become
effective.
“The mission expansion,
coupled with this name change, empowers the college to continue its record of
service and program excellence,” said Robert Musgrove, President of Pine Tech. “A
balanced offering of liberal arts and sciences and workforce programs is a
critical need in our region.”
The new mission will remove
barriers that prevent students from taking advantage of higher education due to
location or financial issues. “We can now allow undecided students to enroll
with a declared major in the Associate in Arts degree and maintain eligibility
for financial aid while they are exploring degree and career options,” said
Musgrove. “This change will allow us to provide an extraordinary education to
more students in our region seeking a broader range of excellent educational
experiences.”
In making this change, Pine
Tech will retain its focus on serving the needs of students seeking a technical
degree. “Our history, heritage, and culture have centered on technical
education, and this change will not diminish that focus,” said Musgrove.
The college’s change request
to the MnSCU Board also substantiated the need for the expansion by pointing
out the low rate of degree attainment in the region. Each year according to the data, almost 70 percent of 10th graders in the
region intend, at that stage of their lives, to seek a bachelor’s degree. However, the reality is that only around
40 percent of graduates in the region actually
do enroll after graduation.
“That translates to over 770 high school
graduates each year who do not enroll in college – even though they said as 10th
graders that they wanted a career that requires a bachelor’s degree,” PTC Dean
of Students Paula Hoffman explained. “We
hope to provide initial access to that degree through our AA for as many of
those students as we can reach.”
For further information
about PTC’s mission expansion and name change, contact Katie Krier at
320-629-5174, or krierka@pinetech.edu; Paula Hoffman at 320-629-5180,
hoffmanp@pinetech.edu; Robert Musgrove at 320-629-5120, or
musgrover@pinetech.edu.
Pine Technical College,
established in 1965 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, serves
more than 1,300 students and awards certificates, diplomas and associate
degrees. PTC’s notable programs include Accounting, American Sign Language, Automotive
Technology, Business Administration, Business Technology, Computer Programming,
Computer Science, Early Childhood Education, Gunsmithing Technology, Computer Network
Administration, Practical Nursing, Registered Nursing, Precision Manufacturing/Machining,
Automation/Robotics Technology, Plastics Technology, Medical Assisting, Human Services
Eligibility Worker and many more.
Pine Tech is accepting
applications for new students in all programs. For more information about PTC’s
programs, including information regarding how to apply, call 320-629-5100 or
visit the website at www.pinetech.edu .
PTC is a proud member of the
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, which include 24 two-year
community, technical, and comprehensive colleges and seven state universities
serving more than 430,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education
system of its kind in the United States.
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